No, the Specials have not reunited to campaign for the erstwhile Mahavishnu maestro’s release from the trappings of luxury bought by ‘Miami Vice’… Jan is offering a free download today of a 1979 outtake, a reggae version of Orby’s ‘Oh Pretty Woman’. It’s… unusual. But it’s free!
https://janhammer.com/track/2582328/oh-pretty-woman-reggae-version
No interest at all in this but use the box!
https://janhammer.com/track/2582328/oh-pretty-woman-reggae-version
What box?
In original post there are boxes for website links, YouTube links etc. If you put link in with rest of the post it isn’t clickable. But you post a lot, you must know this.
Oh, that. Thing is, any time I’ve tried that, the link never appears. Indeed, sometimes the whole post doesn’t appear and one has to re-write it in the comments (or, as I now do as a too-often-bitten failsafe, save the text and paste it in the comments).
Maybe it is your browser? Always works for me (Google Chrome nearly always)
Google Chrome here too.
But hey, never mind.
Oi! Hammer!
You’re nicked!
Released under caution, pending further investigation.
😀 The Fusion Police are after him…
A subdivision of Leonard’s Jazz Police?
I am disappoint.
I thought it was a reggae remix/rework of Orbison’s song. You know, with Orbison singing.
I think it best if I avoid this to avoid enjoyment of Jan Hammer’s wibbling being shafted by what sounds like throwaway crap.
Why do I make this sweeping generalisation?
Because very few heritage rock acts make reggae that doesn’t make you cringe;
Because Roy Orbison is one of those acts, like Buddy Holly, which people think are good, when really it was just they did it first, and the rest is received wisdom and normative approval. I have never had any desire to spontaneously hear either, though don’t doubt their songs contributed to what we listen to now. I think the same about Elvis, too.
I’ll get me coat before there is a New Year’s Eve argument.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there.
Orby was posessor of a truly remarkable voice and a pretty good songwriter, within the constraints of the pop music of his era. Not blessed with much charisma as a performer.
The clip above is not so bad, but is of course much too white-sounding. Pretty obvious to the ear that it’s not a Jamaican or black British recording. The drummer isn’t the one who lets it down, unusually. It’s mainly the bass line that sounds wrong, in my opinion.
Incredible singer. Holly was a super talented songwriter, I wonder what he might have achieved had he lived past the age of 22.
Glad to join the yay sayers. Orbison had a hell of a voice, and, yes, probably was constrained by the songs/sounds of his heyday, or, more probably, our ears are constrained against that era. His later works are well worth searching out and, as a few here know (sic) he was the point and purpose of the Travelling Wilbury’s, to my mind the only one to lift the project above a group of buddies on a jolly.
As for buddies on a Holly, yep, the look and the sound might grate a little now, especially if you have cloth ears and fish eyes, but, if you can’t appreciate the originals, check out the myriad covers of his myriad tunes. He was a major talent.
https://www.covermesongs.com/2019/02/the-best-buddy-holly-covers-ever.html